KARACHI:
Turkey will provide all support needed to strengthen Pakistan’s military infrastructure, the nation’s president said on Friday.
In a video message sent to the launching ceremony of the third vessel of the MILGEM Ada class corvette – a joint venture of Turkey and Pakistan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "The production process of all these ships, which are equipped with the most modern weapons and sensor systems developed by our country, continues as planned."
The third vessel, named Badr, was launched at Karachi Dockyard in the port city with a ceremony attended by Turkish National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Defence Minister Muhammad Israr Tareen, and other officials.
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In July 2018, the Pakistan Navy signed a contract for the acquisition of four MILGEM-class ships with Turkey's state-run defence firm ASFAT. According to the plan, two corvettes are to be built in Turkey and the next two are to be built in Pakistan, which also involves technology transfer.
The Turkish leader said the deliveries of the ships, which will be able to perform all kinds of military duties from air defence to submarine defence, will be made at six-month intervals starting from August 2023.
With an emphasis on the deep-rooted historical ties between Turkey and Pakistan, Erdogan said the project is one of the most concrete and recent examples of it, voicing hope for the project to be "a harbinger of greater cooperation."
He said that Pakistan is the country with the most important strategic location in South Asia. "Throughout history, this region has been the apple of the world's eye with its ancient culture and wealth. Pakistan and its people have a special place for us."
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Erdogan also emphasised the necessity of providing all means of support to strengthen the military infrastructure of Pakistan, "whose security, stability and prosperity we consider equal to ours."
The other vessel of the project, named Kaibar, is to be launched in September in Istanbul, he said.
MILGEM vessels are 99 metres (325 feet) long with a displacement capacity of 24,00 tonnes and can move at a speed of 29 nautical miles. The anti-submarine combat frigates can be hidden from radar.
In October 2019, Erdogan, along with then-Chief of Pakistan Navy Adm. Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, had cut the metal plate of the first MILGEM Ada class corvette during a ceremony in Istanbul.
Turkey is one of the 10 countries in the world which can build, design, and maintain warships using its national capabilities.
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